BREAKFAST BASICS A Comprehensive Look at School Breakfast Participation in Allegheny County ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report, produced by Allies for Children and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Food Security Partner- ship, an initiative of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, summarizes the school breakfast participation rates in Allegheny County school districts, as reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The report includes information obtained through interviews and on-site observations at schools utilizing alternative breakfast models. This report was produced by: Mara Christy Karen Dreyer Researcher Director Allies for Children Southwestern PA Food Security Partnership Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Erika Fricke Health Policy Director Christ West Allies for Children Child Nutrition Outreach Coordinator Southwestern PA Food Security Partnership Heather Hopson Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Communications Director Allies for Children Allies for Children serves as a bold voice for Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is policy and practice changes that improve the a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding wellbeing of all children and youth in Allegheny people in need. County, especially those with the greatest need. Special thanks to Kathy Fisher of the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger and Vonda Cooke of the Pennsylvania Department of Education for their support with data provision. Thanks also to administrators, food service staff, and managers in Brentwood Borough School District, Highlands School District, Penn Hills School District, and Pittsburgh Public Schools District for sharing their school cafeterias and classrooms with us, in particular: Sean Dicer, Deb Kendra, Eric Kostic, Sandy Mackevich, Kylene McLean, Joann Mikula, Maria Miller, Adrienne Paulus, Candice Rae, Lisa Reiner, Nina Sacco, Curtistine Walker, and Annette Wasilowski. Design by Mistick Creative TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 School Breakfast in Pennsylvania 4 School Breakfast in Allegheny County 5 Community Eligibility Provision 8 Case Study: Community Eligibility Provision Pittsburgh Westwood K-5 9 Alternative Breakfast Models 11 Case Study: “Grab and Go” Brentwood Middle/High School 12 Case Study: Breakfast in the Classroom Grandview Upper Elementary School 13 Case Study: Second Chance Breakfast Penn Hills High School 16 Conclusion 18 Appendix I 22 Allegheny County Schools with at least 70 Students who are Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Meals Eating Breakfast per 100 Eating Lunch Appendix II 23 2013 and 2015 Allegheny County School Breakfast Participation Data Overview BREAKFAST BASICS A Comprehensive Look At SCHOOL BREAKFAST PARTICIPATION in Allegheny County Executive Summary he national school meal program can play an important role in alleviating hunger in students. Researchers are now document- ing the impact of childhood hunger on learning and health and looking to school lunch and breakfast programs as part of the solution to mitigating the harm caused when children go with- out reliable access to food. TFollowing state and national trends, Allegheny County school district participation in the School Breakfast Program is growing, with more schools serving breakfast to larger percentages of student populations. In 2013, only one school district—Pittsburgh Public Schools—served breakfast to at least 50 percent of the student population. In 2015, four districts—Cornell School District, East Allegheny School District, Pittsburgh Public, and Woodland Hills School District—served breakfast to at least 50 percent of students. Meanwhile, the number of districts serving fewer than 10 percent of students decreased from 15 to 13. School districts vary widely in the percentage of breakfasts served. Even within districts, a similarly wide variation can exist. In the Keystone Oaks School District, 20 percent of students at Myrtle Avenue Elementary School eat breakfast, compared to only five percent of students at Fred L. Aiken Elementary School. Many Allegheny County schools are adjusting school breakfast programs to increase student participation. In some cases, these decisions occur at the school district level. For example, districts have decided to finance the school food program through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), an opportunity provided by the federal government allowing schools with high poverty rates to feed all students for free. In other cases, individual principals and administrators are adopting alter- native models of serving breakfast to increase participation among their students. These models include Breakfast in the Classroom, “Grab and Go,” and Second Chance Breakfast and offer opportunities for students to eat outside of the usual setting—the school cafeteria—or the usual time—in the minutes allotted for breakfast before the start of the official school day. Case studies of programs at Brentwood Middle and High School in Brentwood Borough School District, Grandview Upper Elementary School in Highlands School District, Penn Hills High School in Penn Hills School District, and Pittsburgh Westwood K–5 in Pittsburgh Public Schools detail the CEP and the alternative breakfast program models listed above that significantly impacted school breakfast participation. Breakfast Basics | 1 TECHNICAL NOTE The data specific to Allegheny County school districts came from the Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Education school breakfast averages for the month of October in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The report primarily compares 2013 to 2015 data, in order to illustrate the two-year increase. In cases where school data was missing for a particular year, or a school had exceptional characteristics (i.e. early childhood education programs where almost all children eat breakfast on site as part of the school day), programs may have been excluded from the findings. In most cases, school districts with only one school building, some charter schools and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit were also excluded, as the small student population and unique characteristics made it difficult to compare to multi-building, larger population school districts. Districts included comprise more than one school building and are made up of more than 500 students. 2 Introduction Children go to school to learn. According to many school staff nationally and locally, students learn better after they eat a nutritious breakfast. Evidence The improvements in meal shows that going hungry impedes a child’s ability to study, behave, and standards in the National perform.1 Recent research also shows that food insecurity—not being sure School Lunch and School where the next meal is coming from—can negatively impact a child’s health Breakfast Programs, as well beyond the classroom. as implementation of the first meaningful national In fact, children who are food insecure are twice as likely to be in poor standards for all other health and 1.4 to 2.6 times as likely to be diagnosed with asthma. Food inse- foods and beverages sold in curity is also correlated with increased risks of anemia, cognitive problems, schools, make the Healthy, aggression and anxiety, poor oral health, and depression.2 Hunger-Free Kids Act one of the most important national The United States Department of Agriculture’s school meals program obesity prevention policy attempts to address this problem by subsidizing food served at school and achievements in recent allowing children who meet the income eligibility guidelines to eat for free decades.3 or at a reduced rate. As such, the program can play an instrumental role in combating the negative impacts of food insecurity. Programs like school —Professor Steven Gortmaker breakfast help students in the short-term, allowing them to be ready to Harvard University learn, and the long-term, benefitting their overall health. Evidence shows that when those children who would not eat breakfast otherwise consume it at school, the learning environment becomes better. For example, behavioral issues reduce.4 Attendance improves.5 If a school participates in the National School Additionally, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which regulates the Lunch Program but does not participate in the school food program, is cited by experts as one of the highest impact policy School Breakfast Program, the school will earn 10¢ for every lunch served. If a school participates interventions to decrease obesity in children. Researchers point to the fact in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, the school will earn an additional 2¢ that high-calorie, low-nutrient food is readily available—easy to find and (12¢ total) for every lunch served. If more than inexpensive—to explain the link between food insecurity and obesity. For 20 percent of the school’s enrollment participates in the School Breakfast Program, the school will some low-income families, providing nutritious and affordable meals can be earn an additional 4¢ (14¢ total) for every lunch difficult. The least expensive food is also often times the least nutritious.6 served. The differential in reimbursement rates available for school lunches served is intended to In the school meals program, students get the chance to eat food that meets provide an incentive for schools to offer new break- minimum dietary standards. fast programs or increase participation in existing breakfast programs. This report showcases how the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and alternative breakfast models, such as Breakfast in the Classroom, “Grab The state